Specialized Ariel?

[bcandy]

No one told me about this when we bought bikes a few years ago, but I sure noticed it! I used to tell DH that the suspension was sucking up all the power!

I've gone back to my old hybrid for grocery runs and riding with the grandkids, and have a lovely road bike for the really fun rides!

Karen in Boise

Interesting. Could you estimate how much it cut down on your power? Wouldn't this depend on how the suspension was adjusted? I would love the input of others on this issue. Since reading your thoughts, I've googled the issue and found that some riders don't bother with lockout even when their bike is equipped with it. Is it worth the additional cost?

[pinkbikes]

Not only does it use some of your energy input to go up and down instead of forward, it is kind of annoying when you stand up to pound up some nasty little stretch of hill and your forks are bobbing up and down, especially if you are on sealed surface at the time.

That being said, I rarely, if ever, lock out my fork on either bike (even my urban commuterised hardtail - you never know when you are going to come across a kerb you need to huck) and on the odd occasion I do have the presence of mind to think to lock it out (it would have to be for a decent climb I knew was coming) I almost always forget to unlock it until I am in the middle of some hairy descent and wonder why it seems so ugly!

[Kano]

Interesting. Could you estimate how much it cut down on your power? Wouldn't this depend on how the suspension was adjusted? I would love the input of others on this issue. Since reading your thoughts, I've googled the issue and found that some riders don't bother with lockout even when their bike is equipped with it. Is it worth the additional cost?

I have no idea how to estimate, but I knew it was happening. I felt like my bike was "squishing" under me rather than responding to the energy I was feeding it. When I was riding up a hill, it felt more like the bike wanted to go into the hill...

Perhaps different adjustment would make a difference, but my bike with the suspension fork isn't equipped that way...

Karen in Boise

[Lesley_x]

Interesting. Could you estimate how much it cut down on your power? Wouldn't this depend on how the suspension was adjusted? I would love the input of others on this issue. Since reading your thoughts, I've googled the issue and found that some riders don't bother with lockout even when their bike is equipped with it. Is it worth the additional cost?

I wouldn't say it makes the bike a complete no-no, just a little less versatile. On the bike I bought I can adjust the hardness of the suspension and lock it out. Locking out does make a huge difference to speed and ability to climb hills effectively. It depends whether it is something that bothers you. I spent a little more to allow the bike to last me longer.

I don't lock the suspension out for every hill, just the ones where it's appropriate and I'm not carrying speed into it, because 90% of the time the roads where I live make suspension a necessity. But I do find it frustrating trying to climb a hill and I feel like all my input is compressing the suspension rather than propelling me up the hill.

It's interesting that one of the bike shops told me to go for a hybrid with no front suspension! Glad I didn't take that advice now